Latin Jazz

The Caribbean Jazz Project, led by Dave Samuels, the uniquely talented vibraphone and marimba jazz musician, just won a Grammy from the Latin Grammy Academy for Best Jazz recording in 2008. Out of all the Latin Jazz groups performing in the Spanish and Portuguese speaking world, the Latin Academy awarded Samuels, a home grown boy from Chicago, the coveted prize. Obviously, hes got that Latin rhythm in his soul.

Samuels started at age six playing the drums. By thirteen he was performing at weddings, and by twenty-six he was touring with Gerry Mulligan, not as a drummer, but a vibrist. He changed from drums to vibes after high school, and for the next 4 years, while going to Boston Universtiy, taught himself to master the mallots. Perhaps because Samuels was self-taught, he has developed his own distinct style, immediately recognizable for the intelligence, technical acumen and emotional warmth he brings to his instrument. His creative, often witty improvisations are legendary, whether playing firey rumbas and sambas, tender ballads, or avant guarde original classical compositions.

Samuels success reflects his talents: Out of the 8 albums recorded by the Caribbean Jazz Project, two have won Grammys and four have been nominated for that honored prize.

The original Caribbean Jazz Project band, which consisted of steel pan drummer Andy Narell, saxophonist Paquito dRivera, and Samuels, immediately captured the imagination of audiences and critics worldwide. Although there are other players in the group now, under the continued leadership of Samuels, The Caribbean Jazz Project tests and expands the commonly accepted boundaries of Latin jazz and jazz in general via innovative compositions and dynamic arrangements.

The groups recent award winning recording,, a collaboration with the Maryland based Afro Bop Alliance, recasts nine of the Caribbean Jazz Projects signature pieces some by Samuels and others by Coltrane, Monk and Oliver Neilson. With full-bodied arrangements by the brassy and high-energy Afro Bop Alliance, the Caribbean Jazz Project recast old traditions into modern and vibrant new sounds.

Samuels first encountered the Afro Bop Alliance in 2008. Impressed by their fresh sound, he asked trombonist, Dan Drew, to rearrange a few of the Caribbean Jazz Projects pieces for the big band sound.

When we recorded the results of Dans arrangements, they were so good, I suggested that we make an album together. And our Grammy is the result, commented Samuels.Hearing the same music played by a small group in contrast to a big band is a completely different musical experience. Repackaging these classical tunes for a big band, when never heard that way before, worked beyond my expectations.. The set opens with a light-hearted and energetic Rendezvous, composed by Samuels and originally heard on CPJs The Gathering (2002). The Afro Bop horns bring added energy to the Caribbean Jazz Projects rhythm section, consisting of bassist Max Murray, drummer Joe McCarthy and percussionist Roberto Quintero.

The follow-up track is a breezy, solid rendition of Coltranes classic, Naima, with a horn and vibe counterpoint that stretches the limits of melody and rhythm.

Further in, Picture Frame showcases Samuels percussion virtuosity, supported by a luscious horn arrangement. And in the final stretch, Afro Green opens with a mysterious marimba/percussion, enhanced by the same rich horn arrangement, and then moves into a more traditional jazz groove.

The closer is an intriguing rendition of Monks well-known Bemsha Swing which, like Naima, takes the jazz classic beyond its traditional moorings into a more experimental realm.

While the Caribbean Jazz Project - Afro Bop Alliance clearly reaches for the bigger sound, none of the original CJP nuance or subtlety is lost in the more layered and elaborate big band context. Their trademark groove is just as edgy and innovative as in earlier incarnations.

You create music by re-interpreting the notes and giving them an emotional quality just like an actor does with lines of dialogue, emphasized Samuels. Music is not about reading the notes on a page It is about how the musicians interpret and play them, and the personal meaning they give to each note.

Join the alliance. The Caribbean Jazz Project is on the move, bringing innovations, surprises and the very best musical talent to its listeners.